[meme]

My 2014 335i tells me that I have brake service coming up in about 700 miles. I looked at the pads and they look the same as my rears which have 40000 miles left. If I take it to the dealer or a shop, I am sure they will say that I need to replace brakes - who does not want to make money, right?


There seems to be information on the internet that CBS has a two stage warning - an orange light for service needed, and red one for unsafe conditions. I looked up CBS in the manual and it does not say anything about two stages.


So what the deal? How does the CBS work? Did someone get two warnings?

[Billfitz]

CBS doesn't work as well as it should. The reading of miles left is a guesstimate until the sensor is triggered, because there's no actual mechanism to measure the pad thickness. My iDrive said I had 40,000 on my rears, until the sensor went off, and then it went to 1,000. My experience:
http://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1471617

The only way to know the condition of the pads is to inspect them, all eight of them. If you had a sensor trip the sensor has to be replaced, whether the pads are replaced or not, so unless you're capable of doing your own work a trip to either the dealer or an indy is inescapable.

[meme]

Originally Posted by Billfitz

CBS doesn't work as well as it should. The reading of miles left is a guesstimate until the sensor is triggered, because there's no actual mechanism to measure the pad thickness. My iDrive said I had 40,000 on my rears, until the sensor went off, and then it went to 1,000. My experience:
http://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1471617

The only way to know the condition of the pads is to inspect them, all eight of them. If you had a sensor trip the sensor has to be replaced, whether the pads are replaced or not, so unless you're capable of doing your own work a trip to either the dealer or an indy is inescapable.

Thanks for the response. So when you tripped your sensor, what kind of warning did you get? A red logo or an orange one? I heard there are two - orange comes on based on mileage and red comes on when the sensor trips.

I intend to replace the sensors when I do the brakes, I would rather not go for a service unless the brake are really worn.

[530iDriver]

This is why BMW has removed the brake pad life measurement from iDrive in G-platform new BMWs. My G30 530i no longer shows the brake pad life in iDrive but I gather it can still be accessed via the key reader at the dealer.

[Billfitz]

Originally Posted by meme

So when you tripped your sensor, what kind of warning did you get?

It said brake service due in 1,000 miles, then updated it every 100 miles driven. It was down to 300 miles when I got around to changing them.

I intend to replace the sensors when I do the brakes, I would rather not go for a service unless the brake are really worn.

You have to replace the sensor, otherwise you can't reset the counter. I imagine if you let the counter go down to zero it will get really bitchy about it, like restricting speed and all sorts of other unpleasantries. Never forget zat zis ist ein Cherman car, ve have vays of making you obey.

[DJsirkit]

Originally Posted by Billfitz

It said brake service due in 1,000 miles, then updated it every 100 miles driven. It was down to 300 miles when I got around to changing them.

You have to replace the sensor, otherwise you can't reset the counter. I imagine if you let the counter go down to zero it will get really bitchy about it, like restricting speed and all sorts of other unpleasantries. Never forget zat zis ist ein Cherman car, ve have vays of making you obey.

Once the sensor is tripped the brake light on the dash will stay on. The office screen will show a message that you have to click "okay" on each time you turn on the car and it pops up again when you turn off the car.